Mausoleum of Hadrian (also known as Castel Sant'Angelo, or Castle of the Holy Angel), Rome, Italy

After

Mausoleum of Hadrian (also known as Castel Sant'Angelo, or Castle of the Holy Angel), Rome, Italy

Before

Warsaw Barbican, a semicircular fortified outpost in Warsaw, Poland, designed by an Italian Renessaince architect named Jan Baptist the Venetian

After

Warsaw Barbican, a semicircular fortified outpost in Warsaw, Poland, designed by an Italian Renessaince architect named Jan Baptist the Venetian

Before

Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol, UK, opened in 1864, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel

After

Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol, UK, opened in 1864, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel

Before

Clyde Arc (also known as the Squinty Bridge), Glasgow, Scotland, designed by the Halcrow Group, opened in 2006

After

Clyde Arc (also known as the Squinty Bridge), Glasgow, Scotland, designed by the Halcrow Group, opened in 2006

Before

Sydney Opera House, designed by Jørn Utzon, completed in 1973, in Sydney, Australia

After

Sydney Opera House, designed by Jørn Utzon, completed in 1973, in Sydney, Australia

Before

The Colosseum, Rome, Italy, built between 70 and 80 AD

After

The Colosseum, Rome, Italy, built between 70 and 80 AD

Before

The decommissioned Battersea Power Station, South West London, UK, constructed between 1929 and 1935, designed by a team of engineers headed by Leonard Pearce and the architect Theo J. Halliday, but Sir Giles Gilbert Scott also worked on the project.

After

The decommissioned Battersea Power Station, South West London, UK, constructed between 1929 and 1935, designed by a team of engineers headed by Leonard Pearce and the architect Theo J. Halliday, but Sir Giles Gilbert Scott also worked on the project.

Before

The Angel of North, designed by Antony Gormley, finished in 1998, Gateshead, UK

After

The Angel of North, designed by Antony Gormley, finished in 1998, Gateshead, UK

Before

The 25 de Abril (25 th of April) Bridge, crosses the Tagus River between Lisbon and Pragal, Portugal, inaugurated in 1986

After

The 25 de Abril (25 th of April) Bridge, crosses the Tagus River between Lisbon and Pragal, Portugal, inaugurated in 1986

See The World's Most Famous Landmarks 20 Years After the Apocalypse

Two visual artists show how our oldest, sturdiest structures will one day crumble.

What would our civilization's iconic landmarks look like 20 years after the apocalypse? Visual effects artists John Walters (who has worked on Starz show Spartacus) and Peter Baustaedter (whose credits include King Kong and Spartacus), have created a chilling series of digital paintings to showcase exactly this.

Created as a promo for the award-winning PlayStation 4 game, The Last of Us, these post-pandemic works feature the disrepair and decay of Amsterdam's canals, Cambridge's King's College, and Lisbon's Santa Justa Lift. The series is a fascinating look, not just at archetypal buildings (the Eiffel Tower) but less famous—and much older—architecture. You may not be familiar with the Warsaw Barbican, built in 1540, or the Mausoleum of Hadrian, built between 130 and 139 AD. But when you see their ruination, it's difficult not to feel a sense of loss—and a deep appreciation for humanity's artistic prowess.

Berlin Cathedral (also known as the Supreme Parish and Collegiate Church), Berlin, Germany.